My Data Science ApprenticeShipt

Take a second and think about just how many things are offered at your local grocery store. It’s pretty amazing that we can get so many of the things we need from one place. From the data point of view, however, I’m certainly glad I don’t have to put together everything they sell in a Walmart (at least not yet). Most people don’t consider the sheer amount of data that is churning behind the scenes on everyday apps and services they use. Why would you? I didn’t until being exposed to the data science side of Shipt, and I feel like my eyes have been opened.

So, big data is certainly not the coolest business to tell people you’re a part of, even when you try to call yourself a data scientist (and I’ve been thinking about it). There’s a good reason for that though, making our app’s product catalog feel like you’re stepping into an actual grocery store is a lot of mindless work. I’m talking hours upon hours of manual data entry. Despite that, I’m really starting to feel proud about what we have to offer now. It still isn’t perfect, but we’re getting a more complete inventory every day.

All that data entry really makes you aware of just how much stuff is in a grocery store. When I was doing data entry I couldn’t believe just how many different coffee products are offered in one store. I guess I should have known based on how much of it we drink here at the office.

Anyway, that’s just a little hello from the data side of Shipt. Can it be monotonous work? Absolutely. But it really is rewarding to be able to browse the app and see exactly what we’ve accomplished. As we expand to new markets and new cities, I’m excited about starting on the newest batch of grocery items. We’re coming for you Dallas!